LIFE GROUP LESSON: JUDE

Contending for the faith in the midst of false teaching....

Jude 1–25 ESV

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James, To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ: 2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you. 3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. 5 Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day— 7 just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding cities, which likewise indulged in sexual immorality and pursued unnatural desire, serve as an example by undergoing a punishment of eternal fire. 8 Yet in like manner these people also, relying on their dreams, defile the flesh, reject authority, and blaspheme the glorious ones. 9 But when the archangel Michael, contending with the devil, was disputing about the body of Moses, he did not presume to pronounce a blasphemous judgment, but said, “The Lord rebuke you.” 10 But these people blaspheme all that they do not understand, and they are destroyed by all that they, like unreasoning animals, understand instinctively. 11 Woe to them! For they walked in the way of Cain and abandoned themselves for the sake of gain to Balaam’s error and perished in Korah’s rebellion. 12 These are hidden reefs at your love feasts, as they feast with you without fear, shepherds feeding themselves; waterless clouds, swept along by winds; fruitless trees in late autumn, twice dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up the foam of their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved forever. 14 It was also about these that Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his holy ones, 15 to execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” 16 These are grumblers, malcontents, following their own sinful desires; they are loud-mouthed boasters, showing favoritism to gain advantage. 17 But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. 18 They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.” 19 It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. 22 And have mercy on those who doubt; 23 save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh. 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

When is the last time you had to fight for something?

Jude 1–2 (ESV)

1 Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James,

To those who are called, beloved in God the Father and kept for Jesus Christ:

2 May mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

In Verse One, who does Jude say that He is? He proclaims to be the brother of James and the servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although Jude is the half-brother of Jesus, He recognizes Jesus as much more than a brother, but Jesus is Lord.

We see that both Jude and James so humility in not boasting in their fleshly connection to Jesus, but honoring His divinity as the Word Made Flesh.

In what 3 ways does Jude describe the people of Christ?

Called: We have a purpose in this life that is given and ordained by God.

Beloved: Jesus loves us/He gave His life for us.

Kept: Christ is our protector, advocate; we are the Bride of Christ.

John 10:28 “28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”

What does that mean to you? The fact that you are called, beloved, and kept by Christ?

For me, it gives me comfort, assurance, faith, knowing that in all things and circumstances...

Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

In Verse Two, what 3 ways does Jude pray over the people?

Mercy: God’s kindness, compassion, and pity towards us wretched sinners. How does He show us mercy? By not giving us the punishment we so rightly deserve.

Peace: Spiritual well-being, completeness, and stability of mind. A state of inner quietness and repose, even in adverse circumstances. A tranquil state of faith and appreciation when submitting and trusting the commandments of God in Christ.

Love: In Scripture, love is the essence of God’s character and the defining quality of His selfless, life-giving relationship with humanity. Love is self-sacrificing, generous, and unending. Its not a temporary feeling or attraction.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.”

Just as Jude has done, are these things that we should be praying over other Christians and other ministries? Do you think we are consistent in doing so? Why should this be a regular practice for us?

Jude 1:3-4 “3 Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord Jesus Christ.”

In verse 3, Jude uses the term “beloved,” which shows that Jude has a true, legitimate, and personal concern with what is taking place among this church.

beloved:

What did Jude originally want to write to them about? Their common salvation. What did he end up addressing? He is calling for them to contend for the faith. The Greek word for contend is epagonizomai, which means “to struggle with intense determination.” Jude is writing to his readers to fight for the truth, no matter what the circumstances are.

How do we define and describe faith? Romans 5:1-4 “1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

1 Corinthians 12:9 “9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit,”

Ephesians 2:1–10 (ESV)

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So what is the Bible telling us about faith?

Have you ever had any moments of a faith crisis or things in your life that dramatically shaped your faith?

Who are some people that you look up to that have really strong faith? Why do you look up to them?

Jude 1:4 “4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”

Certain people who have crept in unnoticed....

who who long ago were designated for this condemnation.....

Pervert the grace of our God....

How? into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.....